Google Wants to Sell You Auto Insurance

Google is plotting a move into auto insurance in the U.S., including a comparison-shopping site from which users would also be able to buy policies, an industry analyst says.

Forrester Research analyst Ellen Carney wrote in a blog post Wednesday that an entity called Google Compare Auto Insurance Services is licensed to sell insurance in 26 states and is authorized to sell policies in at least one state on behalf of six insurers, including MetLife, Mercury and Viking Insurance of Wisconsin.

Moreover, a Google executive recently won authorization to sell insurance through Google Compare as well as through San Francisco auto-insurance comparison site CoverHound, suggesting the two companies are working together.